The 100 resettlement houses bring to 235 the total number of Resettlement houses constructed by TotalEnergies in exchange for land being taken over for oil infrastructure.
The government of Uganda on Tuesday handed over the last
batch of 100 resettlement houses to Project Affected Persons-PAPs under the
Tilenga project in the Bunyoro sub-region.
Each of those was given a land title on which the house was constructed as proof of ownership. The latest development brings to 235 the total
number of resettlement houses constructed by TotalEnergies for persons to be displaced by the oil and gas infrastructure in the Tilenga project area. Those include the Tilenga Central Processing Facility-CPF and the
feeder pipeline in Buliisa, Hoima, and Kikuube districts.
Six hundred and twenty-three persons in Kasenyi village were affected when the
government acquired 320 hectares of land in Kasenyi village in Ngwedu
sub-county.
Minister of State for Minerals, Phiona Nyamutoro who
handed over the final batch of the 100 resettlement houses and the land titles
to the PAPs at Kibambura village in Ngwedu sub county in Buliisa says, the
acquisition of land under the Tilenga project necessitated the preparation of
several Resettlement Action Plans (RAPs) to manage the relocation and
resettlement of the communities affected by the development of the Tilenga
oilfields.
She says the acquisition of land for the Tilenga project
followed transparent and participatory processes where communities were
engaged, consulted, and involved in key decisions.
She adds that the RAP process included
conducting surveys, valuations and consultations with landowners to ensure a
fair and equitable resettlement process stating that compensation packages were
developed not just to account for land value but also to ensure long-term
sustainability by providing resettlement housing and livelihood restoration
programs.
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Nyamutoro further stated that the government’s approach to resettlement
is underpinned by the broader commitment to sustainable development Goals.
She says
the commitment aligns with the National Oil and Gas policy 2008 and other legal frameworks that prioritize the well-being of Ugandans in all oil and gas
operations.
Nyamutoro says the government will continue to work with its
partners including TotalEenrgies and its joint venture partners and the
community leaders to ensure that the benefits of the oil and gas sector are
shared equitably elaborating that the government will ensure that the
communities settling around the Tilenga project are not left out behind but are
integral beneficiaries of the resource development.
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According to Nyamutoro, the land titles offered to the PAPs are
to provide the resettled families with legal security of tenure and also to
make them have full ownership and control over their new homes adding that the land
titles guarantee long-term security and prevent future disputes over land
ownership.
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Mariam Nampeera, the Deputy General Manager of TotalEnergies
EP Uganda says TotalEnergies EP Uganda is conscious of its responsibility to
support the economic upliftment of the Tilenga host community and most
especially the project-affected persons.
She says their
commitment to fulfill this responsibility has consistently been shown through
the delivery of various initiatives under their Global Livelihood Restoration program that is consistent with international standards and requirements.
She further explains that the housing project is an
important symbol of the commitment to undertake the Tilenga development project
while observing the utmost human rights standards stating that TotalEnergies EP
is taking all the necessary initiatives to ensure that they adequately restore
and improve the living standards of the Project affected persons.
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Nampeera says the houses were constructed under what the Project Affected Persons had in their former places of
residence.
Fred Lukumu, the Buliisa LCV Chairperson says the people of
Buliisa and Bunyoro at large have started feeling the impacts of oil and gas
through the construction of the critical oil roads and other infrastructure
established in the region.
He has appealed to the government to
finalize all the critical processes in the sector to ensure that oil
production commences soon.
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Norah Bigirwa, the Buliisa Woman Member of parliament applauds
TotalEnergies for embracing vocational training in the district that has seen people
in the area being skilled in various vocational disciplines.
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George Mukuukusa, one of the owners of the new houses applauded the government for availing them with land titles saying this will guard them from future land grabbers
